Four local players set to debut for the inaugural UFL season on Saturday
MOBILE, Ala (WKRG) — The inaugural United Football League will kick off on Saturday, March 30, with some former local athletes leading the way. Four local athletes are set to either start or contribute to the merger of the USFL and the XFL, the UFL, this spring football season.
The UFL was created to be a more stable spring football league with attributions of the USFL and XFL rules and products combined into one league. The move to combine the leagues became official on November 30, 2023.
Former St. Paul’s Saints quarterback A.J. McCarron will once again play for the St. Louis Battlehawks after playing for the team in 2023 as a part of the XFL. The St. Paul’s Graduate of 2009 has led the Alabama Crimson Tide to multiple national championships before going to the NFL from 2014 to 2021.
Joining McCarron in a loaded quarterback roster is former Gulf Shores Dolphins quarterback Brandon Silvers. After graduating from Gulf Shores High School in 2012, Silvers became a four-year starter for the Troy Trojans. He spent a season in the AAF in 2019, the NFL for a preseason camp in the fall of 2019 and the XFL for two seasons with two different teams.
The St. Louis Blackhawks will debut the season on the road at the Michigan Panthers on Saturday, March 30, at 3 p.m.
Former McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets star wide receiver Marlon Williams will rejoin the reigning USFL champions in the Birmingham Stallions. Williams became an instant star at UCF after graduating from McGill-Toolen High School in 2017. After spending the 2021 NFL Season as an undrafted rookie on the practice squad, Williams went on to contribute to the championship-winning Stallions for the past two seasons.
The Birmingham Stallions will debut the season on the road at the Arlington Renegades on Saturday, March 30, at noon.
Finally, former Spanish Fort Toros tight end Trae Barry will play long snapper for the D.C. Defenders. Barry graduated from Spanish Fort High School in 2017, where he contributed to Jacksonville State for the first four seasons of his collegiate career. After earning a second-team FCS All-American selection in 2020, Barry transferred to Boston College for his final collegiate season. He was the long-snapper for the Defenders last season.
The D.C. Defenders will debut the season on the road at the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, March 31 at 1 p.m.
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